wooster



3 Sheets-Sheet' 1.

(No Model.)

H. S. WOOSTER. BILLIARD SCORE KBBPBR AND GAMB COUNTER.

Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

En A

(No Model.) v 3 sheetssheen 2; H. S. WOOSTBR. BILLIARD SCORE KEBPER ANDGAME COUNTER.

No. 470,275. Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

Q@ MM (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. S. WOOSTER.

BILLIARD SCORE KEEPBR AND GAME GOUNTBR.

No. 470,275. Patented Mar. 8,1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT SIDNEY IVOOSTER, OF BATH, ENGLAND.

BILLIARD-SCORE KEEPER AND GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,275, dated March 8,1892.

Application filed June 2, 1891. Serial No. 394,826. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT SIDNEY VOOS- TER, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Bath, in the Kingdom of GreatBritain and Ireland, have invented a certain Apparatus for Scoring theGame of Billiards and Indicating the Number of Games Played, ot whichthe following` is a Specification.

The invention consists in an improved appliance for scoring the game ofbilliards and affording a return ot the number of games played. Theappliance is, therefore, a provision against false returns by attendantsas to money due by them to proprietors of bil'- liard-tables.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a frontelevation, and Fig. 2 a partial vertical transverse section, of myimproved appliance for scoring at the game of billiards and giving areturn of the number ot games played. Fig. 3 represents a rearelevation, the cover of the back being removed and the pointers at themid-height, which I term the games-register, being traversed to theirfull extent to register twenty-iive games. Figs. e to S are on a largei`scale. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the uppermost of the two endlessscrews, which extend horizontally across the machine at the midlieightto register the number of the games. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S are frontviews of one end of one of the rollers, turned in four differentpositions. Figs. 9 and lO are outline drawings of the same scale asFigs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the parts near thetop and bottom of the machine, the middle parts being broken away. Fig.l0 is a front elevation showing the mechanism which connects the upperand lower parts of the machine and makes their action dependent on eachother. This is useful under certain conditions. Similar letters ofreference indicate like parts in all the iigures where they appear.

Toward the top and bottom, respectively, of the machine are the usualmarking-rollers c, bearing numerals from l to 100, arranged in series. Ihave made them four series of twenty-iive each.

In front ot the rollers a arev the pointers l), which may forconvenience in description be termed the units-indicators, by which thepoints are marked by simply moving the pointers along from lett toright.

As the action is similar in both sets of indicating mechanism at the topand bottom, respectively, it will simplify description at first to setforth the operation with respect to one set only-the upper set.

The pointer h is secured to a carriage or plate c, which is free toslide on rails d, Fig. 2, fixed behind the face of the appliance, andcarries a yoke c, having a short arm e at top and e2 at bottomprojecting backward into grooves provided in rollers fand g, arrangedparallel with the rollers c, and which perform important functions. Theroller a is tted with a toothed wheel a', gearing with a toothed wheelf', iixed on the roller f. Each roller g has a toothed wheel g gearingwith a pinion t', which latter gears with toothed wheel k', fixed on thecorresponding endless screw k, which works through an easy-iittingsleeve Z, a separate view of which sleeve, on an enlarged scale, isshown by Fig. 4l. Each sleeve l carries a pivoted lever m, which isurged downward by the springs n, so as, when permitted, to engage in thehelical groove of the screw 7c.

Upon the spindle o, extending outward to the front from the sleeve l, iscarried a pointer p, for indicating the number of games and half-gainesplayed and scored by the unitsindicators b. The pointers p may, forconvenience in description, be termed the gamesindicators. Behind themis a flat plate or board q, bearing numerals l to 25, arranged at equaldistances apart in :regular sequence, each major graduation-that is tosay, from one numeral to another-being of the value of one game of onehundred points as spaced upon the roller a. Each roller f and g has fourlongitudinal grooves connected by four diagonal grooves. short arms e e2engaging in the grooves, couples the rollers f and g together, as seenat Fig. 2.

In scoring from one to twenty-live by a unitsindicator l) the upper armc ofthe yoke e slides in the straight longitudinal groove f2 of theroller f and produces no effect on the rollers. In its return passagefrom right to left the yoke leaves the straight groove and traverses theinclined or diagonal groove f3 and turns the The yoke c, which has IOOroller f a quarter of a revolution. This is et'- fected as follows: Intraversing to the right the yoke raises a spring-switch r, which switchis closed by its spring after the yoke has passed. This movement is tothe left in Fig. 3, because Fig. 3 is a rear View. This switch directsthe upper arm ot' the yoke into the groove f3 on the return motion. 'Ihelower arm e2 of the uppcr'yoke e in travelingto the right moves in thediagonal groove g3 of the roller g, causing that roller to revolve untilit has turned a quarter-revolution. At the end of its traverse the saidlower arml e2 of the yoke reachesv the next longitudinal groove g2, andon the return of the yoke e from right to left the inner and lower armremains and slides in the groove g2. As the yoke approaches t-he leftend of the appliance, its lower arm e2, following the conformation ofthe groove in which it is traveling, turns the roller gslightly, so thaton its next move to right the arm e2 passes into the groove g3, and bytraversing this causes the roller to revolve enough to completeaquarter-revoln# tion. I

Each diagonal groove f3 in the roller fand g3 in the roller g is of suchpitch that while the proper armrof the` yoke e is traveling in it theroller f or g, as the case may be,.is rotated, through one-fourth of arevolution. During the motion to thev left the roller a is by theintervening gearing f and a turned a quarter-revolution, and hence thesecond set of numerals, commencing with 26, appears at frontinstead ofthe first series, and so on. So, also, each .movement Ato therightturnsthe roller ga quarter-revolution, and by means of the. toothedwheels g', @and/c', thescrew 7c is caused to rotate `to such an' extentras to move the sleeve Zlongitudinallythrough onefourth of the distancebetween two cons ecutive numerals on the plate or board q behind the`games-indicator. It will now be seen that a completerevolution oftheroller c at the top or bottom, whichis made in scoring one 1 hundred.points by one player, moves thecorresponding 'games-indicator p' throughone complete graduation. Then the game is tinished, and thelunits-indicator for the other player being. now idly made. .to `completethe movements to register one hundredand back again to zero like theother, the apparatus is readyto register anew game, until 4the wholelength of the screwslc have been traversed by the game-indicators.

The position of the game-indicators is a true, index of the totalnumberof the games played, and thus acheck is provided upon the return givenby attendants to proprietors of billiard-tables as to payments which aredue to them, the computation` being based on the usual system of a tixedcharge for each game of titty or one hundred points, respect-V ively.y

When .it is required, as, aftereach payment made by the attendant, toreturn the gamesindicators to the starting-point, the Window free to bedrawn backward along the screw without rotation of the latter. Onwithdrawal of the pressure from the stud u the spring n restores thelever m to engagement with the screw, and the spring fv returns the studu to its normal position. Now all -is `ready fto again register anyrequired nu mber of games up to the limit. As shown, this is twentytivefull games.

To adapt the machine for registering halfgames or games in which onlyiifty points are scored, it is of advantage to be able toset the indexesback to zero .without moving them idly through the several motionsrequired to register the next fifty. I have equipped the machine forattaining this end, allowing each units-indicator to be set back to zerowhen only fifty points are made. Furthermore, I provide mechanism whichconnects the upper and `lower part otthe machine, so that although theupper units-indicator can be set back when iifty points are made it canonly be done provided the lowerone is broughtup to the same number, 50,and the lower can be moved back to zero from 50, provided the upper oneis carried forward to 50. The diagonal groove f3 in each roller f, inwhich at the termination of each game the yoke e is returned fromright'to left, opens at the vleft end in Fig. l, which is the right endin Fig. 3,.,into a part f4, which is of smaller diameter than thegeneral body of the roller, as seen more..-particularly in thepseparateview, Fig. 6, and extends half around the roller. The grooves f2 f3 ineach roller f, along the first ofv which the yoke e has been traversedto the right and along the second of whichl itis to.

be returned when twenty-five points have been scored, is blocked at theleft end, the right in, Fig. 3, (shown by f in Fig- 65) also the groovesby which, when the seventy-tive points are scored and the yoke returned,are not (see Fig. 4). run out to they roller-neck; but the grooves in veach roller along which the yoke is returned, when fifty points havebeen scored, opens into a cavity or sunk space. When the upper arm e ofthe yoke e inthe upper partV of the apparatusy orv the correspondingarm, the lowervarm (similarly lettered e) in the lower part of theapparatus, is moved to the left end of its traverse after registeringfifty points and is in the positionvto register fifty-one pointsandVcommence therefrom to go on to complete the hundred,thereis liberty, ifthe players lso elect, by reason of the yoke e being in the sunk spacef, which extends half around theroller, forthe player by operating onthe knob a2 at the end of the apparatus to turn the roller back to 1,and

thus to commence again at l to register a new game. This is important toallow half-games to be registered. I avoid all possibility of thusturning back one, the upper or the lower, rollera, without theotherhavin g been brought up to 50, by the following` means: At thegearing end of each roller a is a ratchet-wheel. (See Fig. 9.) Theratchet-wheel .fr of the upper units-indicator roller engages with apawl y, (see Fig. 9,) pivoted at y to the frame of apparatus, andconnected at the outer end to a rod y2, which extends downward and isconnected at the lower extremity to one end of the horizontal arm of abell-crank lever 54, pivoted to a iixed bracket .25. The pawl y isnormally kept engaged with the ratchet-wheel e' by a spiral spring ifbearing at the upper end against a collar on the rod y2 and at the lowerend upon a stop fixed to the frame. The lower yoke e carries a curvedarm e3, which extends backward, so as to come into contact with theupper limb of the bell-crank lever .24, when the lower units-indicatoris moved sufficiently far to the left. The ratchet-wheel of the lowerunits-indicator roller engages with a pawl a', pivoted at z2 to theframe of the apparatus, and connected at the outer end to a rod ,23,which extends upward and is connected at the upper extremity to one endof the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever yg, pivoted to a fixedbracket y1. The pawl e is normally kept in engagement with the ratchet,e by a spiral spring e, bearing at the lower end against a shoulder onthe rod e3, and at the upper end against a stop fixed to the frame. Theupper yoke e carries a curved arm similarly lettered es, which extendsbackward, so as to come into contact with the lower limb of thebell-crank leverg/3 when the said unitsindieator is moved sufficientlyfar to the left. By this arrangement of ratchet-wheels, pawls, levers,and springs, and rods extending up and down, the upper pawl y is freedfrom engagement with the ratchet-wheel a; only when the lower bell-cranklever ,e4 is tilted by contact therewith of the arm e3 of the lowerunitsindicator, and, similarly, the lower pawl e is freed fromengagement with its ratchet-wheel a' only when the upper bell-cranklever yg is tilted by contact therewith of the arm e:E of the upperunits-indicator. Accordingly, the pawls can be freed from engagementwith the ratchet-wheels of the rollers dy only when bot-hunits-indicators stand near 51,to which position both must consequentlybe brought before either roller d can be reversed to Zero through themedium of its handle a2. Vhen the rollers a have been so reversed, theyokes e enter the grooves in the roller f at the zeropoint, passing overand depressing a springtongue t', Figs. 6 and 8, which thereafterrebounds, blocking the groove, and preventing withdrawal thereat of theyokes.

gear for this purpose is shown at Fig. 10. It consists of a system ofarticulated levers A, C,and F, pivoted to the frame and connected 7olinks B, D, and E. rlhe link D is guided on the stud l, and receives ina slot G an arm (not shown) fixed to the spindle of the handle H. Bypartially turning' the handle ll and-thus moving the link D downward thelevers A and F are turned upon their pivots, so as to cause the teeth Aand F to take into notches provided in the slide c of cachunitsindieator. In this position the mechanism is 'locked by the bolt ofan ordinary lock (not 8o shown) being shot into the slot B of the link Bby turning the key of the said ordinary lock. The spring L serves tomaintain the levers either in the position shown at Fig. l0,

or in the position occupied by them when the teeth of the levers A and Fare engaged in the notches of the slides c until such positions arechanged by turning the handle Il.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the ad- 9o vantages of the invention.

instead of employing switches, such as r, Fig. 3, for diverting theupper arm e of the yoke e from a longitudinal to a diagonal groove, thetransfer may be effected in the same way as above described withreference to the in ner or lower arm.

l claim as my inventionl. In a games-register, the combination of aunits-indicator l), arranged to traverse backroo ward and forward inregistering the number of points, and gearing operated by such traversecommunicating motion to a screw-shaft k, carrying a sleeve Z, andgames-indicator p, adapted to register the number of games and m5half-games, as herein specified.

2. In a games-register, the roller d, carrying several series of figuresto be presented in succession by partially revolving the roller, gearingdf, and roller f, the latter having in- 11o clin ed grooves f 3, incombination witha unitsindicator b and adapted to be reciprocated, asshown, and with means, as the arm e, for engaging in the groove f3 andpartially revolving the latterby the reciproeations of the 1 15 former,and with mechanism connecting it to a screw 7e, arranged to be revolvedand to communicate a slow registering motion to the games-indicator p,as herein specified.

3. In a games-register, in combination with I 2o the units-indicator dand pointer l), arranged to be traversed relatively thereto, the rollerf, geared to the roller a and having two sets of grooves f2 f, and aswitch lr, combined and arranged for joint operation as hereinspecified.

4i. In a games-register, the games-indicator p, carried on a sleeve Z,mounted on the screw k, in combination with each other and with theengaging means fm, and provisions, as the 13o push-pin t; and wedge w,for disengaging, when required, and with the window S, with lockingmeans, all arranged for joint operation substantially as hereinspecified.

5. Ina games-register, the rollers f g, having inclined grooves f3 g3,and the yoke e, having arms e e2 connected to the units-indicator b', incombination with each other and with an endless screw k andgames-indicatorp, traversed thereby, and gearing connecting these parts,all arranged for joint operation as herein speciied. l

6. In a games-register, the pointer b, mounted on a carriage adapted tobe reciprocated between guideways, as shown, in combination with theroller f, having two sets of grooves f2 f3, communicating, as shown, theprovisions for registering half-games consisting in providing saidroller f with cavity f4, arranged to receive the arme and allow theroller f and its connections to be revolved backward, as hereinspecified.

7. In a games-register, the pointer b, mounted on a carriage adapted tobe reciprocated between guideways, as shown, in combination with theroller f, having two sets of grooves f2 f3, communicating, as shown, theprovisions for registering half-games consisting in providing the saidroller f with a cavityr f4, arranged to receive the arm e and allow theroller fand its connections to be revolved backward, and withthespring-tongues t ,and arranged to allow the arm e to be so moved andto forbid-a return movement, as herein specied.

8. In a games'register having two rollers a, carrying numerals andadapted for registering units, and mechanism for registering the numberof games, with provision for turnlng backward the units-registerlngrollsv to register fractions of games, so connecting the two rollers athat neither can be turned to commence anew until thc other has beenturned to complete the corresponding portion ot' a game, substantiallyas herein specified.

9. In an appliance for marking or scoring games, an arrangement ofrollers, such as ct, f, and g, grooved and coupled by yokes, such as e,screw-thread rollers, such as le, carrying sleeves, such as Z, or theirequivalent, said arrangement being such that as each series of unitsdisplayed from end to end on the units-indicator rollers is indicated bythe units-indicators in the progress of the game the games-indicatorsactuated through the said screws and sleeves indicate through the mediumof a graduated board, such as q, the totalnumber of games and half-gamesplayed, substantially as hereinbefore described.

10. In apparatus for marking or scoring games, the mechanism forinterlocking the units-indicator rollers, whereby on. the conclusion ofa game of fifty points both unitsindicators must be returned tothestarting end of the apparatus before either of the unitsindicatorrollers can be reversed to zero, as herein set forth. 4

l1. The spring sleeve or clip carrying the games-indicators, consistingof the lever m, spring n, spindle o, with wedge-piece w, spiral springu, and stud u, arranged and operating substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBER" sIDNEY woos'rEE.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN HICK WATTS,

13 Queen Square, Bath, Solicitor. GEORGE SEPTIMUS HORFIELD,

13 Queen Square, Bath, His Clerk.

